Their 24-21 victory over Tampa Bay wasn’t a triumph as much as an example of how it can always be worse.

They could be the Bucs.

The Lions were the benefactors of five turnovers - most not caused, but literally handed to them - and an utterly foolish roughing the passer penalty. Yet, they still almost found a way to lose.

You can make a case it was a big victory from the standpoint it allowed the Lions to cling to a thin, fragile thread of postseason hope. However, despite the win, it was affirmation this is anything but a playoff-caliber team.

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In the process, the Lions continue to toy with the emotions of their fans.

On one hand, they are the home town team. You should want them to win.

On the other, this is an organization often delusional about where it is going after very modest success.

It’s difficult to see where genuine progress is being made. Instead, it’s being masked under the guise they are “fighting” for a playoff berth.

There is a critical decision that must be made regarding head coach Jim Caldwell’s future. Is he the right coach to lead the Lions to a championship some day? The obvious answer: No.

The Lions’ playoff aspiration at this point is sneaking in as a wildcard team and playing on the road. The Lions chances of taking a deep postseason run are extremely minimal.

But it would be, “Jim Caldwell got the Lions into the playoffs three of the last four years…”

Wash. Rinse. Spin. Repeat.

Nothing to be proud of, just settling.

There were reports Sunday Caldwell’s contract extension is just for next year. Any manner the rest of the season plays out, bringing Caldwell back would be counterproductive and clearly based on the whims of typically out-of-touch Lions’ ownership.

But a playoff berth would undoubtedly tempt the organization.

Sunday’s win didn’t prove much.

We already knew Matthew Stafford is a better quarterback than than the Bucs’ enigmatic James Winston, who typically melted down. We already knew Golden Tate can make big plays against mediocre secondaries. We already knew that Matt Prater is likely to make a clutch field goal attempt.

When Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy left the game early, it meant the Bucs’ defensive line was basically rendered useless, but the Lions’ offensive line nonetheless nearly blew the game because of penalties to guards Graham Glasgow and T.J. Lang.

The Lions had a 21-7 lead entering the fourth quarter.

There is much angst about Stafford in this town, but it’s misguided. Virtually any success the organization has enjoyed the last two years has essentially been because of No.9.

Playing with an obviously injured hand, he completed 36 passes for 381 yards. He engineered another fourth-quarter winning drive.

Stafford made a couple bad throws, which resulted in interceptions, but that’s out of character.

Lions’ running backs carried the ball 17 times for just 44 yards and they still won because QB is where they held the edge.

It would be a misnomer to suggest that was encouraging because it was a victory, though.